Chapter 62: Aerial Combat (1)
Most of the arrows plummeted into the abyss below, thanks to Calix’s swift response.
Swooosh—!
But one stubborn arrow, persistent to the end, veered toward Aajen.
If left unchecked, the sharp arrowhead would graze Aajen’s cheek and leave a thin, red line.
"…Hmph."
Yet Calix, who positioned himself protectively in front of Aajen, merely glanced at it without any particular reaction, showing no intent to intercept.
'No need. It won't hit anyway.'
Though Aajen Clover was technically someone to protect, Calix wasn’t the type to fret over such details.
Nor did he feel much necessity to shield Aajen with special care.
As long as the guy didn’t die, what was the problem?
But as someone born and raised in combat, Calix failed to recognize—
That to a civilian like Aajen, even something minor like that could pose a serious threat.
‘More important than that…’
Calix turned his head dispassionately, focusing on a group approaching from afar.
"There they are!"
Figures with massive flapping wings or floating in midair through some unknown power—
They emerged one by one from seemingly nowhere, as if they'd been waiting here for days.
"…Assassin guild, Depicio!"
"Why are they here?!"
Spitting the words, Calix exchanged a sharp glance with Sercia, who had said the exact same thing.
"An ambush."
"Of all times…"
Immediately, they grasped their respective roles. A battle formation they’d never normally attempt.
A mage, Sercia, at the front.
A swordsman, Calix, taking the rear.
It was a combination only possible under exceptional circumstances.
Because beneath their feet was not solid ground—but empty air.
‘…The situation is unfavorable.’
Unfamiliar aerial combat.
And the opponents were birdfolk naturally adept in the skies and minority tribes with peculiar powers.
However… it was still worth trying!
"Mr. Calix. Just checking—do you need time to prepare?"
"No."
Calix smirked, lifting one corner of his mouth. That signature, confident grin carried a tinge of menace.
"I’m good."
Alongside Elwin, the Spero members had endured brutally rigorous training for the two weeks they traveled to Batevil aboard the airship.
And it wasn’t just to improve personal combat skills.
—But to strengthen as a group.
Pairs of two, three, even four.
Swordsman and swordsman, swordsman and mage, mage and spearman, etc.
They learned the impact of superior numbers and experienced the synergies between different allies and professions.
They were thoroughly trained in how to form formations depending on the situation and environment to their advantage.
"…Whew, support me."
"Yeah, leave it to me."
Among the lessons was how to handle being outnumbered in an unfavorable environment.
The tactic Sercia and Calix adopted now was one of the most effective.
"Well, thank you for the welcome. I nearly got turned into a pincushion, you know?"
Sercia’s smiling face instantly turned cold.
Unlike Aajen, who had been protected by Calix, she had to fend off the rain of arrows on her own.
Of course, if it had been her usual self, she could’ve dodged that barrage with her eyes closed.
Even though mages were generally vulnerable to close-range attacks, she was a spatial mage whose specialty was teleportation.
‘I should’ve saved just one spell in reserve like Mr. Elwin advised…’
But right now, she wasn’t in a state to dodge so easily.
Just like how Gale received two weapon-type artifacts after becoming Elwin’s ally—
Sercia and Calix had also been given artifacts suited to them.
Hers was…
—Mana Orb!
An artifact that let her store spells in advance and deploy them when needed.
She had only received it yesterday.
—Fresh from the Mage Tower, hot off the press.
—Oh my gosh…! Really, thank you so much!
She’d been absolutely thrilled to receive it. It was a rare treasure coveted by all mages!
The best way to describe mages was "glass cannons."
They wielded power beyond reason, but their stamina and durability were like tissue paper.
So mages always hoped—
To obtain magical tools that could shave down what always felt like overly long casting times.
And by sheer luck, Sercia had gotten such a tool—and a perfect-performing artifact at that!
‘Maybe storing three high-level spells the day before was too much.’
But overwhelmed by curiosity and excitement, she had gotten greedy. The magic well within her was now nearly dry.
And her reaction time to incoming attacks had been severely delayed.
If Elwin had seen her, he would’ve sighed, ‘Mages, really…’
The smarter mages were, the more likely they were to indulge reckless decisions in fits of curiosity.
Just like Sercia now.
‘If my reaction had been just a bit slower—if the teleportation spell had taken even a few seconds longer…’
She remembered the arrowheads that had fixated on her face and wrists.
Sercia rubbed her wrist and bit her lip.
‘I almost took a critical hit right from the start. This was my mistake. I should’ve heeded Mr. Elwin’s advice more carefully…’
For mages, the mouth and hands were crucial. The mouth recited chants and incantations, the hands conjured glowing magical sigils from thin air.
Of course, there were spells that could bypass those cumbersome steps and activate immediately—
But for Sercia, that wasn’t an option.
‘Silent Magic’ was only available to those who had attained a supreme level of enlightenment.
‘…I figured this would happen eventually, but it seems information about me has already spread across all of Depicio.’
A mage who could freely unleash powerful spells was practically a siege weapon in human form.
Which was why any organization treated such a mage as a high-level threat.
A person who could change the tide of battle alone was, to rulers, the ultimate nuisance and source of unpredictable variables.
"…Focus."
As she idly wondered how far the intel on her had spread, Sercia shook her head sharply.
Then, narrowing her eyes, she thrust both hands forward.
"We don’t need sharp things like this."
Three magic circles materialized around her in succession.
At that same moment, the barrage of arrows fired again—then abruptly halted.
Fwoosh!
And suddenly, they reversed direction.
"Let me return the favor!"
Whip-whip-whip-whip-whip—!
The arrows flew back at the assassins, who scrambled to deflect or nullify them.
Meanwhile, Sercia reached toward the foremost of her three magic circles.
"Summon! Fire Bow!"
Fwoosh—!
At her shout, a massive flaming bow appeared in midair. Its bow, string, and arrow were all blazing pure fire—
Yet she gripped it with bare hands, unfazed by the heat… and drew it!
"Fire Arrow—!"
The arrow released from the string split into dozens mid-flight toward its target.
"Scatter!"
"Everyone move! Get away from the target zone!"
The enemies shouted in panic, attempting to dodge before the flaming arrows rained down.
One look at the blazing projectiles told them—
If they were hit, they’d go up in flames and be reduced to ashes.
"Not so fast!"
But Sercia wouldn’t let that happen. She activated her second magic circle.
"You who once fed on life… You who writhed beneath the searing volcano…! Reveal yourself!"
As Sercia chanted, immense mana gathered—and something burst forth from the magic circle.
A massive spherical being, its surface burning like molten armor.
"…What is that? A giant fireball?"
One of Depicio’s assassins murmured absentmindedly.
—No.
That was no ordinary spell. His instincts screamed: If you want to live, run now!
"…"
But yielding to instinct? That wasn't the Depicio way.
Suppressing their urges with discipline, the assassins turned to their commanding officer.
"Your orders."
"…Hmm. From old times, fire is always suppressed by water."
The one giving orders here, and a Depicio executive—Kartke.
‘Something feels ominous. Best to eliminate it before that orb gets any bigger. And first… the mage.’
Kartke stared at the mage hidden behind the sphere. She didn’t seem to be floating with her own mana.
‘That cloak—an artifact? Good. I’ll take it as a trophy.’
She cackled greedily.
They held both numerical and positional advantage. Unless something bizarre happened, victory was assured!
And yet, every time she looked at that golden cloak—specifically, the emblem on its back—it sparked a strange sense of déjà vu.
‘…What is it? It feels like I’ve forgotten something really important…’
Kartke squinted, then shouted loudly.
Convinced it couldn’t be that important since she couldn’t recall it.
"From now on, we split into two teams! Water-attribute mages and related ability-users, to the front! Opposing elements, fall back, recheck formations, and change targets!"
With a cruel smile, Kartke pointed at the two men behind Sercia.
A visibly tense Aajen Clover—
And the swordsman who, according to reports, possessed considerable skill.
"New targets: Aajen Clover and the unnamed swordsman!"
But really, how effective could any swordsman be floating in midair?
Just dodge before they can cut you.
"Kill Aajen Clover. Wipe out all the interlopers!"
"Yes, ma’am!"
Following her command, the assassins moved in perfect order.
The water-attribute mages moved first, chanting spells. The ability-users supported to enhance the magic.
"Water Bomb!"
"Aqua Wave!"
Massive torrents of water surged like floods, aiming at the flaming sphere.
SPLASH! KABOOM—!
Steam billowed, thickening the air.
"Direct hit!"
"What’s the result? What happened to the sphere?"
As the steam cleared, the results became visible.
"Th-there’s no change at all!"
It remained perfectly round, untouched. Depicio’s attack had done nothing.
Squirm… squirm…
But their attempt hadn’t been in vain. The idea of using water to suppress fire had merit. It had awakened the dormant sphere.
FLASH!
Kyaaaaaaaaaaaah—!
And then, it opened its eyes.